I know that many Backdoor Survival readers are fan’s of Joe’s, both for his instructional survival guidebooks and his entire “Holding Their Own” series. He is a prolific writer with eight books now available in the fictional series with fans coming back again and again to read each new book in the series.

Enjoy the interview and be sure to check out the details of this week’s giveaway below.

An Encore Interview with Joe Nobody

One question on everyone’s mind is what they would do if a disaster or even a collapse occurred in their own back yard. If that happened to you, would you bug-in or bug-out and why?

I would bug out because I live in a densely populated area. Given a long term collapse, the land simply cannot support the number of people living in this area. Without modern agriculture or supply trucks, there are too many folks per square mile. Also, my regular home is not defendable.

If you did decide to hunker down and bug-in, what items would you include for comfort? Or would you?

We have board games, decks of cards, computer/tablet books and videos. I feel that even in a grid down situation, entertainment and recreation are important for morale.

We also have solar chargers for our cell phones. Even though there wouldn’t be towers to use the calling features, a smartphone is really a miniature computer. I have books, walkie-talkie apps, and other features installed to help with surviving, games to keep up morale.

These days, it seems as though a new book about survival or preparedness is released daily. How is your book different from the others and why should we read it?

While my latest work is fiction, I believe it is unique for several reasons.

The Holding Their Own series is centered on a married couple. They learn to depend upon each other while both are forced to grow into roles beyond anything they would have considered before the collapse.

I also include many of the survival methods in my fiction books that are covered in the instruction guides. I believe it helps folks absorb critical skills if they read about these items in a fictional setting where they can visualize themselves in similar situations as the protagonists.

What is your favorite survival, disaster, or post-apocalyptic film or TV show?

It is said that everyone has a book inside them. What advice do you have for the budding author?

My advice may seem harsh, but it is honest. I begin by telling new authors, “Don’t let that book come out until it’s causing stretch marks. That’s when you’ll be really ready to write.”

After you do pen a tome, hire professional editors, cover artists, proofreaders, and other help. The old adage, “two heads are better than one,” applies to books as much as anything. The more eyes that see your work prior to publishing, the better the end product will be. I didn’t follow this advice at first, and it hurt my reputation.

And finally, treat your writing career like a business. Be ready to invest and conduct yourself as a professional.

I write because I get a high level of gratification from helping people. I found that authoring a book was the best method for me to reach the greatest number of folks. If you are doing it for money, fame, or other reasons, I suggest you reconsider. Very, very few people achieve professional success as a writer. If your motives are not monetary in nature, then by all means, write that book.

The Book Giveaway

A copy of Bishop’s Song has been reserved for one lucky reader. To enter the giveaway, you need to utilize the Rafflecopter form below. There are a number of options, all of them easy peasy! Note that this giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada.

The deadline is 6:00 PM Pacific next Thursday with the winner notified by email and announced in the Sunday Survival Buzz. Please note that the winner must claim their book within 48 hours or an alternate will be selected.

The “Rafflecopter”

The Final Word

The fact that Joe Nobody (which is a pen name, by the way) lives in a densely populated urban area should bring solace to those of you that may have been lamenting your close proximity to a city hub. Even those that live and breath preparedness still have lives to live plus jobs, families, and health concerns that may preclude them from having a farm in the country.

I am glad that Joe has shared this bit of his personal situation with us and I hope you will enter the giveaway to win your own copy of his fabulous book!

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!Gaye

Book six of bestselling author Joe Nobody’s saga continues the adventures of Bishop and Terri as the communities of the Alliance strive to improve the quality of life for all. But the obstacles are many.

War looms on the horizon as treachery threatens to destroy everything they’ve worked so hard to build. Bishop must accomplish the most difficult mission of his life, navigating a post-apocalyptic world that threatens danger at every step, testing the will of even the strongest of men.

Bargain Bin: Today is all about books. Listed below are all of the books in the current Backdoor Survival Book Festival. There are both fiction and non-fiction titles and a bit of something for everyone.

Note: If you covet an e-Book reader, consider the Kindle. Prices start at $119 although a basic kindle is only $69. And if not, at the very least pick up the free Kindle app so that you can read Kindle books on your PC or favorite electronic device.

The monthly specials at Emergency Essentials feature discounts of up to 45% off sometimes a bit more.

Every family should have at least one Tote-able Toilet. I have priced purchasing the bucket and toilet seat lid separately and found that it was more economical to pick up this kit. I have filled my portable potty with sanitation supplies plus, of course, plenty of TP.

Need something from Amazon (and who doesn’t)? I earn a small commission from purchases made when you begin your Amazon shopping experience here. You still get great Amazon service and the price is the same, no matter what.

E-book 99 Cents – Also Available in Print!

The Prepper’s Guide to Food Storage is a book about food: What to store, how to store it and best practices. It is a roadmap for showing ordinary citizens that long-term food storage is not something that will overwhelm or burden the family budget. It is based on my own tried and true experience as someone who has learned to live the preparedness lifestyle by approaching emergency preparedness and planning in a systematic, step-by-step manner.

Whether you simply want to prepare for natural disasters or whether you believe the world is headed toward a major food crisis, this book is for you. It covers basic tips and techniques you can use to stock your food storage pantry so that you can be assured that your family will have food to eat, no matter what.

JimW!!! thank you, thank you, thank you. I had no idea that archive.org even existed. after I read your post this morning I went on there and I think it is so great. I d/l my copy of One Second After because I have been wanting to read it for quite a while now but my budget for ‘not completely necessary’ items is miniscule. thanks again for this very useful tip. I have officially cleared today’s schedule of all non-necessary tasks so I can read One Second After, I have seen more ppl rave about OSE more than any other prepper/survival book.

After thinking about this question just a little bit more, I think I would want that one question to be a different one. I think I would instead like to ask, do you grow any plants for survival reasons and if so what are they and for what reasons?

I suppose technically that’s three questions, but at least they are related. For myself I have an potted Aloe plant I keep in the house for medicinal uses.

Started planning on my bug out location. It’s a exciting time! I get so many very good tips from this website I recommend it to my friends that are not preppers just because of all the helpful lifestyle tips.

With all the research that writers must do, do you feel that the informed public’s lack of understanding and knowledge of the need for preparation in light of current events can be scarier than fiction?

I love to read – as a child my mom took me to the library where I would check out 10 books til the next weekend – read as much as I could – then take the 10 books home til the next weekend when we went shopping – I went to the library – later on that habit of reading continues – thank you mom!

“If you were given an opportunity to interview an author of survival fiction, what single question would you ask?”
Would the pet population need to be curbed to prevent the spreading of diseases and parasites among pet populations, people, and wildlife? – as people would not want to spend their resources on vet supplies.

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MEET GAYE

I'm Gaye, just an ordinary gal trying to make sense of our changing world. I am addicted to prepping, DIY projects, adult coloring books, and ballroom dancing. I live what I call a strategic life and believe you should too. Everyone needs to prepare for the worst and live for the best. Won't you join me?